Johnny Depp, aka Jack Sparrow, eyes outlined with kohl in Pirates of the Caribbean. (Credit: Photo released by Disney)
This mixture of antimony or charcoal, sulfur, animal fat, bitumen and lead was used around the Mediterranean as early as 2000 BCE to both enhance and treat the eyes, according to Greco-Roman texts.Far from being merely a matter of vanity, kohl possesses unsuspected powers. This ointment, varying in color from steely blue to deep black, is made of a potentially toxic blend, which also made it lethal to bacteria that attack the eye’s surface and eyelid rim. Hence, its prophylactic use among nomadic populations exposed to desert sand and glare.Though now inscribed as intangible cultural heritage of humanity, kohl’s recognition is not solely due to its ancient lineage.Underlying this listing is the silent modernity of an ancestral gesture: kohl has always been a genderless cosmetic. Long before the concept of "gender fluidity"...
This mixture of antimony or charcoal, sulfur, animal fat, bitumen and lead was used around the Mediterranean as early as 2000 BCE to both enhance and treat the eyes, according to Greco-Roman texts.Far from being merely a matter of vanity, kohl possesses unsuspected powers. This ointment, varying in color from steely blue to deep black, is made of a potentially toxic blend, which also made it lethal to bacteria that attack the eye’s surface and eyelid rim. Hence, its prophylactic use among nomadic populations exposed to desert sand and glare.Though now inscribed as intangible cultural heritage of humanity, kohl’s recognition is not solely due to its ancient lineage.Underlying this listing is the silent modernity of an ancestral gesture: kohl has always been a genderless cosmetic. Long before the concept of "gender...
